N Chandrababu Naidu`s walkathon enters 200th day

TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu completed 200 days of his ongoing "Vastunna Meekosam" (I am coming for you) foot march as he reached Makavarapalem village under Narsipatnam Assembly constituency in Visakhapatnam district.

Hyderabad: TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday completed 200 days of his ongoing "Vastunna Meekosam" (I am coming for you) foot march as he reached Makavarapalem village under Narsipatnam Assembly constituency in Visakhapatnam district.

In the process, the former Chief Minister crossed the 2750-km milestone, having started the walkathon on October 2 last year.

Politically, the foot march is very significant for Chandrababu as well as Telugu Desam Party as they are in desperate need to reinvent themselves in the changed political circumstances in the state.

Going by the response the yatra generated in 16 districts of the state, Chandrababu seemed to have succeeded in re-establishing his lost touch with the people.

By announcing different packages for every particular section of the society, the former CM sought to win over those sections that once formed a strong vote bank for the TDP.

Thanks to his yatra, YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy`s corruption and the way he amassed illegal wealth have become points of serious debate across the state.

So much so that the ruling Congress leaders themselves are now endorsing Chandrababu`s claims as Jagan has become their "common enemy".

Through the foot march, Chandrababu also sought to boost the morale of TDP rank and file, which has certainly hit a low being in opposition for nine years now.

He also utilised the opportunity to build alternative leadership in many constituencies where sitting legislators and some other senior leaders defected to the YSR Congress (in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema) and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (in Telangana).

TDP leaders believe the yatra helped in creating a "silent wave" in favour of the party despite several odds (the Jagan and Telangana factors).

"Our cadre base is still strong across the regions and we are able to consolidate our position among SCs and BCs. We could also impress other sections like employees," TDP vice-president Kambhampati Ramamohan Rao pointed out.